Internal-combustion engine.



J. A. BROWN.

INTERNAL CGMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATKON FILED MAR. 6. WI].

1,261,354. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Fig. l.

19 \3 P I 4 1 16 1 E 22 20 94 2a 2 I 25 In mentor, JamecA.Brown, 6g

UNITED s'rarns agnnr OFFICE.

JAMES A. BROWN, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, AS SIGNOR TO PERFECTION GAS ENGINE COMPANY, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

INTERN AID-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 191%.

Application filed March 8, 1917. Serial No. 152,862.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs A. Bnown, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cedar Rapids, Linn county, Iowa. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Comliusiion Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal eombnstion engines, and the object at my improvement is to automatically actuate the 'exlniust-valve of such an engine by utilizing part of the pressure of the resultant gases of combustion therein.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the aeeompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved internal combustion enginewith parts broken away to thereby better disclose the internal conetrm-tion; Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale. of my engine, slat-wing overlaid sections, one of the cylinder and the other of the auxiliary cylinder containing the exhaustwalve and its actuating piston; Fig. It is a horizontal section of part of said cylinder, and of said auxiliary cylinder as seen from below looking upwardly toward the under surface of the exhaust-valve; Fig. t is a (liagraunnatic view of said cylinders with their by-pass connecting conduit, the

-engine cylinder being shown in horizontal section. and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the auxiliary cylinder. 7

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is the representatimi of an internal combustion engine of the stationary horizontal type in which all the parts are of a well known cons-traction, but equipped with my improved exhaust-valve actuatingmeans. 'lh'e engine cylinder 13 eontains the usual reciprocating piston 10 and has in its combustion chamber orin connnunication therewith. a suitable inlet-valve and gas igniting means not. shown.

'lhe numeral 1 denotes an auxiliary vertically disposed cylinder mounted on the end of the engine cylinder 13 adjacent to the combustion chamber of the latter. 'lhis cylinder 1 is. livided by means of the hori zontal septa partitions 18 and 5, of which the one contains a central valve seat. for the exhaust-valve 7, while the other contains a k central bearing orifice for the upwardly extending stem of said valve, the latter passing into the chamber 19 in said cylinder.

Referring to Fig. 2, said chamber contains a piston 2 above the upper end of said valve stem, and in the head of the cylinder 1 is an inlet-port 14 placed in communication with an auxiliary exhaust-port 17 in the engine cylinder 13. by means of an exterior-1y located by-pass eonduit 9.

The num ral 4 denotes a horizontal arm secured to the upper part of the valve-stem 3 by means of a rivet 16, and a coiled compression-spring 6 is engaged between said arm and the partition 5 by being coiled about the stem 3 to ordinarily keep the. exhaust-valve closed and to cause the stem 3 to lift the piston 2 to its uppermost position. The numeral 23 denotes an upwardly extending standard fixed on the partition 5 adjacent to said stem 3, and having lugs between which is pivoted an oscillating lever 15 which is provided with the notch or reeess 20 adapted to receive the outer extremity of the arm 4 when the latter is lowered with the stem 3. The notch 20 is formed with an acute angle at its upper end to fit: the like angular upper edge of the arm 4 and prevent the unseating of the latter when in said notch except under a certain condition hereinafter mentioned. The lower end of the lever 15 is beveled on its rear face to be spaced away from its supporting standard 23 .to permit the lever I v I .to rock forwardly at certain times.

Another fixed standard 22 is positioned near the stem it and supports one end of a plate spring :21 whose free end bears against the arm 4 and yieldingly retains the latter in its seal in the notch 20 of said oscillatory lever 15. i

The numeral :Z-l denotes a bell-crank lever, one end of which engages the beveled lower end of the lever 15 and is kept in contact therewith yieldingly by means of a spring :26 eouuected to its pivot stud and beaning against its other end. The cylinder 1 has a slot through which enters an inturned end of a lever 25 to bear against the free opposite. end of the bell crank lever 24. This lever 25 is operatively connected with the moving weights 29 of a speed'governor 28 actuated by the engine and shifting a. flanged sleve 27 on the crank-shaft '30, to cause the ever, an end of which is positioned between the flanges of said sleeve, when the engine exceeds a determined limit of s eed, to rock the said bell-crank lever to re ease the lower end of the oscillating lever 15, whereby the latter may rock freely, so that the arm 4 cannot detach itself from it when the stem 3 is rocked by means to be described, thereby holdin the exhaust-valve 7 open until the speed 0% the en ine becomes reduced. This governing mechanism specifically, however, is claimed in an ap lication for patent, Serial Number 15 ,439, hence will not be further described herein.

The numeral 8 denotes a cylindrical pin fixed dependingly and eccentrically on the lower surface of the exhaust-valve 7. Opposite said pin 8 in the head of the cylinder 13 is a large opening 12 through which may pass a tappet finger 11 fixed on the head of the engine piston 10.

\Vhe'n, as shown in Fig. 4, the engine piston 10 has receded far enough to uncover the auxiliary exhaust-port 17, the gases resultin from combustion pass through the conduit 9 and inlet-port 14 into the anxiliary chamber 19 and by their pressure, push down the piston 2, the latter likewise pushin down the valve-stem 3 and opening the exhaust-valve 7 away from its seat. The arm 4 on said stem passes downwardly along the lever 15 and is caused by the reaction of the spring 6 to seat itself in and engage the notch or recess 20 under the hooked detent in said lever 15 to retain said valve in its open position, when the latter is held fixed y b the engagement therewith of said bell-cranh lever 24, and by the pressure of said spring 21. When the engine piston 10 returns toward the cylinder-head, its tappet pin 11 msssvthrough the opening 12, engaging the eccentric stud or pin 8 on the exhaust-valve, pushing it around a short distance to rock said-valve and its stem in one direction, which pulls the arm 4 out of engagement with the recess 20 on the standard 15, rocking it and permitting the spring 6 to react and carry sald stem and the overlying piston 2 upwardly to their first positions while closing the exhaust-valve.

It will be seen that the ressure of the exhaust ases alone, after caving the engine com ustion chamber, is drawn upon to actuate my improved mechanism for opening the exhaust-valve, without taking any part of the working power of the engine which results in a considerable saving 0 power.

Since a large, exhaust-f port can be used with my engine, the combustion-chamber is quickly scavenged of the waste sea of combustion, which prevents over eatin and also a saving of power because all sue gases are exhausted and none are left to be compressed on the return stroke of the piston,

which causes a brakin effect thereon. The

efiective horsepower o the en me is, by rea- 66 son of all these savings, great y increased.

It will be seen, also, that my device opens the exhaust-valve in proper time and duration to the different cycle movements of the engine and performs this duty automati- 70 cally and independently of any special mechanical actuating devices, such as gears, cams, push-rods or levers, commonly empltiyed for the purpose on four-cycle en ines.

aving described my invention, w at I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters P tent, is:

an internatcombustion engine, the c bination with the exhaust valve stem thereof, and the engine-piston, of valve locking means for said stem, means controlled by exhaust-gases of the en ine for shifting said exhaust-valve open an locking its stem with said locking-device detachably, releasing-means actuated by the engine-piston for re easing said stem from said locking device, and mechanism also actuated by said piston to variably act in regulating the action of said releasing-means.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, in

combination with the cylinder, the piston therein, said cylinder having an auxiliary exhaust-port leading from its combustionchamber, an auxiliary cylinder having partitions dividing it into two chambers, one of said chambers containing a piston and being in communication above said piston with said auxiliary exhaust-port, the other chamber having an outlet-opening, the lowermost partition having an exhaust-port in communication with the combustion-chamber, an exhaust-valve seated movably'in said port, the other artition being orificed, and the exhaust-Va vc having a stem provided with engaging-means'passin through said orifice into the first-mentjone chamber into juxtaposition to the piston therein, locking-means in said first-mentioned chamber adapted to interlock with the enga ing-means on said stem detachably, yielda I'e resilient means connected to said stem adapted to exert upward stress thereon and other resilient means engaged with and, adapted to hold it interlocked with said locking-means yieldingly, said exhaust-valve having engaging- JAMES A. BROWN.

it from said locking-means when 

